Lately, I've been optimizing my closet with a variation on minimalism that folds into the "better, not more" school of thought.

By streamlining my wardrobe to include mostly neutral colors and functional, visually interesting basics, I've been able to cut down on dressing time and keep my closet more organized.

Modern Citizen, a direct-to-consumer minimalist fashion brand, is my new go-to for stylish neutral pieces at super affordable price points.

The site allows you to shop by occasions like "work" or "weekend" and doesn't have an overwhelmingly huge selection that takes hours to comb through.

It's a common misconception that "minimal" necessarily means "boring." That couldn't be further from the truth. To me, the concept of a "minimal" wardrobe just means focusing on better quality, smarter functionality, and building a foundation of easy-to-match styles.

As such, the older I've become, the less color and fluff I've allowed into my wardrobe. This isn't because I live a sad, boring life, nor is it because I "lack personality." It's because over time, I've learned the importance of efficiency.

I'm not exactly Steve Jobs over here in the same jeans and turtleneck every day, but with a closet full of whites, blacks, navys, and camels, I'm able to spend less time thinking about how to piece together outfits, or chasing overly trendy pieces that I'm done with a week later. I'm willing to bet that even for people who love wearing color, having a solid foundational wardrobe full of good, neutral basics brings a sense of ease (and thus, joy) to your morning routine.

I'm willing to bet that since you clicked into this piece, you're at least somewhat like me in that you tend to feel overwhelmed when brands offer 341 trendy sweater styles instead of just 20 really nice options.

That's what Modern Citizen does best — they curate an expertly designed collection of around 15-35 items per category, from dresses to blouses and everything in between, each with some sort of unique twist. Everything is made in neutral colors, save for the occasional pop of red or muted purple, and everything is Audrey Hepburn-level effortless.

On the brand's website, you can shop by occasion (like work, weekend, evening, travel, and vacation) or you can shop by the specific category you're looking for. Because nearly all of their offerings are made in neutral colors like black, white, navy, and khaki, everything is extremely easy to mix and match.

I have the ruffled skirt on the left, which is currently one of my favorite pieces. It's easy to pair with pretty much anything — sweaters, white tees, button downs, loafers, heels, sneakers, color, or no color. It's currently on sale for $41 (down from the original $82 tag), a not-so-subtle reminder that the prices on their products are far lower than you might expect.

The great thing about a functional basic is that you don't really have to put much work into figuring out the rest of your outfit. But the best thing about Modern Citizen is that their versions of functional basics are anything but boring.

Take, for example, this wrap-around cropped tee (pictured center, above). I'd consider this to be an "elevated essential" — in that it's both an excellent basic and a fashion-forward, voguish design. It can be worn with anything from leggings to a pencil skirt and everything in between, and can easily transition from dressed up (think: an oversized blazer and wide-leg pants) or dressed down (like the way it's styled above). It's also only $62.

Modern Citizen also has a surprisingly nice selection of jewelry, though I've never tried it in-person so I can't speak to its lasting quality. However, I can speak to how beautiful it looks online. The prices are a little higher than what I'd consider "super affordable," but they're not wallet-clenching scary. The styles below range from $86-$105.

The reason the brand is able to keep their price points relatively low is because they use a direct-to-consumer model. They also don't mass-produce a huge number of styles, so they're able to pass savings onto customers even while using high-quality materials.

I'd take this over an overwhelming scroll through large fast-fashion sites any day, and I frequently do.

So whether you're a self-proclaimed wardrobe minimalist with a penchant for fashion, or you're just looking for an affordable place to shop for workwear that isn't boring, I cannot recommend Modern Citizen enough.

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